2024 Tillman Scholar Earl Brown Drives Innovation in Adaptive Sports

Earl Brown’s journey in Orthotics and Prosthetics is just beginning, but the 2024 Tillman Scholar has already made a significant impact in the adaptive sports community. 

After serving in the Navy and the Army for a combined 26 years, Earl discovered his passion for helping athletes with disabilities overcome physical challenges and reach their highest potential. 

It all began with a custom bite tab he built and fastened to a bow and arrow for his youngest son, who suffers from right hemiparesis. As an avid archer, Earl wanted his son to be able to shoot alongside the rest of the family, sharing in their passion for the sport.

While on a family trip to their local archery range in the Tampa Bay area, Earl was introduced to the Hillsborough County Adaptive Sports program, which, ironically, was in need of a new coach.

“We were just shooting and having a practice when several athletes from the program came in,” he explains. “I immediately said, ‘How do I become a part of this?’ Then it quite literally fell in my lap.” 

From there, Earl and his wife got Level 1 and Level 2 certified with USA Archery, with Earl ultimately becoming a Level 3 certified coach.

During his time as a coach, Earl was introduced to Tracy Otto, a remarkable quadriplegic athlete whom he built a similar bite mechanism for, as well as a shoulder release, enabling her to compete in archery. While Tracy was initially hesitant, Earl recalls telling her: “Let’s focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do.” 

After releasing her first arrow and hitting the target, Tracy became determined to make it to the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. “Right away, she said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is amazing … I’m going to go to Paris,’” Earl explains, adding: “She set her mind to it and I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ So we continued to evolve her shooting setup.” 

Earl continues: “She’s been able to get stronger and stronger, so she doesn’t need to use the shoulder release anymore … But she’s still using that same bite mechanism that I gave to her when I first built her rig about two years ago.”

Tracy’s dedication has led to remarkable success. She won gold in the Women’s W1 and mixed team categories at the 2024 Para Pan American Championships, securing the USA’s Paralympic quota slots. After competing in trials in Arizona and Florida, she officially achieved her goal of qualifying for the Paralympics. 

“I was over the moon,” Earl recalls of learning that Tracy had qualified. “It was almost like a fatherly pride … I’m just super excited about her adventure and journey, from where she started to where she’s at now.”

He added that her success inspired him to “take a leap of faith” and return to school to earn his Master’s in Orthotics and Prosthetics, a dream made possible by his Tillman scholarship.

“It gives me peace of mind to know that I can focus on my craft and make a difference in the Para community and with our Wounded Warriors, providing the services and support they need in their recovery efforts,” he said of the support he’s received from the Pat Tillman Foundation.

Earl’s story is just one of many inspiring journeys within our community. To learn more about our nearly 1,000 Tillman Scholars and the incredible work they’re doing, visit our scholar page here.